‘Promiscuous’ plants or how many fathers can be involved

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Mrs.Green
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‘Promiscuous’ plants or how many fathers can be involved

Post by Mrs.Green »

A cat or a dog (or a woman for that matter) can have more than one father for the same litter. Which makes sense since genetical variation is an advantage. Which made me wonder , how many fathers can be involved in one ‘litter’ ( seedcapsule) when it comes to plants? Factors as how long the flowers stays open, possible numbers of seeds and how many pollinators there are are around would of course play a role . But lets say there are 100 possible seed that could be fertilized and there were plenty of eager pollinators around, could the seedcapsule in theory have 100 different fathers?

If I don’t remember wrong, some plants close the flower when it have been fertilized, can’t remember which though. Can a plant that is self-fertile have a seed capsule with both self fertilized seed and from another father?

Adding; wouldn’t own species pollen be preferred if it’s available ? Let’s say a pollinator comes along with both own species pollen and pollen from a releated species, could it result in a seed capsule with both ‘pure’ seed and and crosses?
DaveW
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Re: ‘Promiscuous’ plants or how many fathers can be involved

Post by DaveW »

I'm not a botanist Mrs Green so somebody more scientific will probably correct me. As far as I understand it each pollen grain that lands on the stigma and germinates produces its own pollen tube down to an unfertilised seed, Therefore in theory every seed in that fruit could have a different "father". Of course receptivity to pollen may limit compatibility. As you say many plant flowers tend to decay once pollinated so that may reduce the number of possible pollinators. One pollen grain therefore can only fertilise an individual seed, not all of them, therefore all seeds arise from a separate pollen grain, hence variability in seed from a single fruit.

Click the arrow on the right of the link for the next slide.

https://www.bing.com/images/search?view ... t=0&sim=11

Also see:-

https://www.ukessays.com/essays/biology ... -essay.php
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nachtkrabb
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Re: ‘Promiscuous’ plants or how many fathers can be involved

Post by nachtkrabb »

Mrs Green, that are some really interesting questions, thanks for asking.
An thanks to you, Dave, for some insights.
I guess there are some more answers.
N.
Love and Revolution!
...and still more cacti.
Mrs.Green
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Joined: Fri Oct 23, 2020 5:59 pm

Re: ‘Promiscuous’ plants or how many fathers can be involved

Post by Mrs.Green »

DaveW; Thank you very much for the interesting links 🙂 Nachtcrab; yes I think it’s interesting on several levels. Both from the ‘what’s possible’ level and when it comes to seed ‘production’ in captivity.
I still wonder about ( have touched the subject before) how certain one can be of the origin of the seeds produced in cultivation.. Unless you keep your plants strictly one species in an absolute sealed room/ greenhouse, how certain can you really be of its origin?
I could think of several factors contributing to a questionable fatherhood, unless the above specifications are present( absolutely closed room/ greenhouse).
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nachtkrabb
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Re: ‘Promiscuous’ plants or how many fathers can be involved

Post by nachtkrabb »

...and when closing the room make sure that the bees don't come into the game.
Love and Revolution!
...and still more cacti.
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